


The History of the Fae Empire Part I - The Girl in the Woods

by BezoomnyKoshka



Series: The History of the Fae Empire Part I - The Girl in the Woods [1]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Hellenistic Religion & Lore, Hetalia: Axis Powers, Norse Religion & Lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-23 21:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14941638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BezoomnyKoshka/pseuds/BezoomnyKoshka
Summary: Fae is the youngest daughter of Gaia, has been called the Goddess of Nations and Nationhood by some, and above all that she also represents a nation herself; the Fae Empire! Following the early years of this OC character, The Girl in the Woods follows Fae as she fights dragons, makes a 'Great' friend, and tries her hardest to grow up to be a nation that both her mother and boss can be proud of - oh, and there is quite a bit of flower picking and some talking animals too. Enjoy!This series is inspired by two worlds I find fascinating - the world of ancient pagan mythology and the word of Hetalia. The series follows an OC, the Fae Empire, who straddles the line between these two worlds and is the main character of this AU. Keep reading the rest of the series for more of her stories and history...





	1. Gaia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaia is an outcast, disgraced on Olympus, forced to hide in the shadows following one of the many wars between the gods and monsters of the world. However, Gaia's spirits may soon be lifted thanks to a rather strange source...

Sunlight is difficult to avoid. Even with the dense green layer of leaves above her Gaia was still bathed in the cold, unforgiving light of dawn. Even at this time in the morning the heat felt insufferable, and the light was visible to anyone glancing across the clearing. Gaia, however, saw nothing – tears were currently keeping her eyelids glued shut.  
Life had not been kind to the Earth Mother, and her body was covered in a spider’s web of scars. Many were old, ghosts of past horrors, and she only remembered their stories in the middle of the night when the nightmares came to grip her.  
The fresher scars stood out, causing both emotional and physical pain for Gaia. The worst was the one slashed across her belly, gotten from the recent war. When her children and grandchildren turned on each other they fought like caged animals, desperately vying for control. She had tried to control them, had tried to rein them in, and in response they had bound her youngest children and caged them like beasts.  
The war had left Gaia injured and weak. She was not sure how long her mourning had lasted, but now the sobs had faded into silence, the shaking into stillness. She lay there, broken, trying to dream of a solution that would not come to her, no matter how desperately she called.  
Until today, it would appear. Today something happened, something changed. Today she received a visitor.  
The little nightingale fluttered down to the ground beside her. It hopped gently over, head turned to the side in slight curiosity, before hopping back again. Then it began to sing.  
After a few moments Gaia’s eyes opened, and she watched the little bird as it sang her a sweet melody, calling to her through her misery:  
“Wake up, wake up! Oh mother of the Earth!  
Nature needs you now, we appreciate your worth!  
Wake up, wake up! You creator of life!  
Rise out of your misery and away from your strife!”  
By the time the nightingale had stopped repeating its verse Gaia had risen, and was now sat up watching the little bird in curiosity. When she was sure he had finished she asked him:  
“What gives you the right to command me so, little one? Do you have the answer to my question? Can you tell me how to stop them?”  
The nightingale fluttered its wings, before hopping from foot to foot.  
“The answer is one you already know,  
All you must do is look into your soul!”  
Gaia raised an eyebrow, but smiled nevertheless. She was rather fond of the chirpy young fellow and his playful way of speaking.  
Further to this, she knew he was right. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let the future come to her in flashes, until she saw the face smiling back at her; the face of a goddess with eyes as green as her own.  
Gaia opened her eyes and beamed at the nightingale.  
“Tell me, my bright young man, what is your name?”  
“Luscinius is the name I was given,  
If you forget it you will be forgiven!”  
“Well Luscinius, and I promise I will not forget it, how would you like helping me to reclaim my glory and topple those who only seek destruction?”  
The little bird sang out in delight, fluttering into the air as he jumped in delight, and Gaia smiled. She knew exactly what she had to do, now all that was left was to do it…


	2. Áedán

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the middle of an Ancient forest life follows a very fixed pattern for Áedán and his fellow Faeries...

The warm smell of fur and smoke gradually welcomed Áedán into the waking world. He lay there, nestled in a mountain of blankets, not wanting to climb out into yet another cold, busy morning. The Fates, however, had a different destiny in mind.  
Something hit him hard on the shoulder, causing him to wince.  
“Come along, big brother! There’s a lot to be done today!”  
He looked up to see his brother’s grinning face looming over him and groaned.  
“How you convince anyone to wake up to that is far beyond me, brother…”  
“The trick is simple,” Hrondir turned, grabbing a bowl full of fresh water and a towel and holding them out for his brother, “I never stay long enough for anyone to wake up next to me.”  
“And you wonder why Odette always returns your presents…”  
Hrondir frowned, before whacking his brother on the arm again, almost causing him to spill the water all over himself.  
“Odette is different; she’s strong, courageous, and I’m pretty sure I’d make a good husband for her. I’d make sure the little ones are alright whilst she’s off making important decisions, and I’d make her laugh and we’d all be very happy. Hey, I already made her laugh, remember?”  
“I’m not sure falling flat on your arse trying to impress her counts…”  
Hrondir raised a first again, making Áedán flinch. “At least I’m trying; when was the last time you even spoke to Odette?”  
Áedán sighed, throwing down the towel and beginning to get dressed. “She’s not interested, brother, and I don’t intend to push her.”  
“Not interested? She wouldn’t leave your side during Winter Solstice!”  
“We’re just friends…”  
“Yes, that’s why they call it a ‘friendship tension’, we’re all just waiting for you to ‘hug’.”  
This time Áedán thumped his brother, making the younger man shoot him a grin.  
“Come, Hrondir, we cannot spend the day sat around gossiping. We have work to do.”  
“Hey, I was waiting you. I’ve been up since dawn.”  
They made their way out of the hut, and Áedán instantly started shivering against the cold. He made his way over towards the campfire, where the morning bowl of stew was being served.  
“Morning Ælfflæd,” Áedán smiled at the woman dishing out the rations, “how’s the stew looking this morning?”  
“Enfys and I will need to go hunting a little later, so we can make more tomorrow,” Ælfflæd replied politely, nodding towards her wife, “for now we have enough for the day, but there’ll be no meat in tonight’s portion, only vegetables.”  
“Fine by me,” Hrondir winked, causing both women to glare at him.  
They received their portion and went to sit down together and enjoy their breakfast.  
“I don’t get why they’re still so annoyed at me,” Hrondir admitted, sipping his stew heartily, “I’ve left them both alone since they got together.”  
“I’m pretty sure they got together over their mutual hatred of you after you ditched them.”  
“It worked out for the best in the end, didn’t it? They’re clearly happy together,” Hrondir grinned, before winking at Thom and receiving a withering glare in response, “I mean this is hardly doing wonders for my confidence…”  
“I’m not sure, brother, I feel your ego could use a bit of a deflate…”  
Áedán looked down, trying to hide his grin. He knew the others weren’t really mad at his brother, but he also recognised the fact that they were all looking forward to the day when Hrondir finally chose to settle down. Heck, he was chief of that particular club.  
After breakfast, Hrondir made his way over to the blacksmith’s hut whilst Áedán began making his rounds. It was standard practise for him; once a week he’d go around the village, work out what jobs needed to be done that weren’t currently assigned, and work them into his weekly schedule. In this weather his first stop was the supply store, where his suspicions were confirmed.  
“Yeah, we’re nearly out of firewood,” Freyja confessed before he’d even opened his mouth, “We could use some more nuts and berries too, and preferably soon with lunch approaching.”  
“Then I’ll get straight on it,” Áedán nodded, taking the basket Freyja was offering to him and heading out of the hut.  
He made his way back to his hut, wrapping his cloak around his shoulders before heading off into the woods. The sun was slowly rising into the sky above him, and its rays cut through the warm morning, highlighting his breath as it hung in the air.  
He soon found a hazel tree that hadn’t been picked bare and began to take the nuts from its branches. He was sure to leave some behind, in case some passing creature fancied a snack, before moving on to a blackberry bush that was growing nearby. He had the same rule for that, as he did for the acorns, sloe berries and holly berries that he found.  
After spending the morning wandering around the woods foraging for whatever had not yet been found he made his way back to the village, heading straight to Freyja’s hut.  
“Wonderful,” she beamed as she accepted the basket, “I’ll see what I can do with all of this to make it last a bit longer. Ooh, you got some holly – a rare treat!”  
“After lunch I’ll head back out to get some wood,” Áedán smiled, “And tomorrow?”  
“Supplies,” Freyja nodded without looking up, “for medicine.”  
“Wonderful,” Áedán bowed his head at her, before turning and making his way over towards the forge, his skin glowing from the heat of the fire and the strain of the work.  
“Ah, brother!” Hrondir spoke without looking up from the spearhead he was forging, “How was the foraging today?”  
“Good, it was very successful; how’s the forge?”  
“Brilliant brother. This new blend is working very well so far, although it’s too soon to say how practical it’ll be.”  
It had been Dene’s tribe to the north that had stumbled across the cave filled with metals, and whilst they mined it the other tribes would take the metals and use them to craft tools to make life easier for everyone. They had recently been experimenting with trying to blend metals, which Hrondir was becoming pretty adept at.  
After the spearhead was finished Hrondir removed his gloves and used a spare piece of cloth to wipe himself down, before pulling his shirt back on.  
“I’ll have to speak to Thom at some point to see if he thinks we’ll need to look into finding stronger kinds of wood, to work with the metal. You may need to act as a go-between…”  
“No, just make it clear that you’re there for the greater good and avoid flirting and you should be fine. Maybe if you’d been a bit nicer…”  
“I thought he realised it was just a fling! Anyway, rumours suggest that he and Freyja have been spending more time together…”  
“Now now brother, we do not engage in gossip,” Áedán hushed his brother as they approached Freyja, who was portioning out the last of the jam from his previous forage.  
As they sat and started to eat Thom approached them. He completely blanked Hrondir, instead focusing on Áedán.  
“I was wondering if you would visit Harve down in the south at some point. Rumour has it that he’s discovered a new type of tree, and I would be interested in seeing what uses it could possess. If I could have a sample it would be very helpful.”  
“I need to restock medical supplies tomorrow, but the day after I will set out, I promise you,” Áedán nodded, smiling at the carpenter, who politely bowed his head and went to get some food.  
In the local area the tribes had come to an agreement; each had a representative that would act as a go-between whenever the villages had to conduct business between each other. Áedán had been nominated for that position in his village, with the four most important representatives being Dene in the north, Harve in the south, Liliana to the west and Odette to the east. There were other tribes out there, but it had been easier to work with the ones that were more local for practicality’s sake.

Eventually, after a cup of water to go with their lunch, the gathered villagers dispersed to begin work on their afternoon chores. Áedán checked in with those he hadn’t had a chance to speak to yet, before heading over to the supply store and taking hold of the cart that sat outside for gathering wood. He reached down and picked up the axe, taking off the leather cover to inspect the blade, before placing it carefully back in the cart. Pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders, he turned and made his way into the woods.


	3. Áedán

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the arrival of their patron deity the lives of the Fae will be forever changed...

The sun was beginning to fall out of the sky as Áedán made his way out of the woods. He shivered gently, pulling the cloak tighter around his body, before going back to pulling his cart, full of freshly chopped wood, towards the small village.  
After delivering his cargo to the hut where firewood was stored, he made his way back to his way into the centre of the village, where other faeries were gathered around the main fire eating the last of that week’s stew. As he approached a familiar face looked up and shot him a grin.  
“Ah, brother, you’re back!” Hrondir flashed his handsome grin, before nodding at the pot sat in the middle of the flames, “I made sure there was some left over for you to enjoy.”  
Áedán nodded in appreciation and picked up the remaining bowl, filling it with the warm stew before turning to find a seat.  
It was then that he stopped, glancing in the direction of the woods were he could just about make out a hunched figure.  
“What is it, brother?” Hrondir frowned, turning before rising to his feet as he also spotted the figure. “Who is that?”  
Áedán shook his head, before handing his bowl over to his brother and making his way over towards the trees. The others watched him curiously, holding back in case the situation turned out to be dangerous.  
As he got closer Áedán stopped, shocked, before quickening his pace and hurrying over to the figure. Taking off his cloak he draped it across the pregnant woman’s shoulders, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and half carrying her towards to warmth of the fire.  
As he approached the others rose to their feet, Enfys hastily heading over to where the water was kept and pouring out a cup. Meanwhile Áedán helped the woman to take a seat, before looking at Hrondir and nodding for him to give her his portion of stew. The woman’s hands were shaking slightly, but she nodded in gratitude and took the stew, taking a long sip of the gravy.  
Enfys appeared by the woman’s side with the cup of water in her hands, and carefully took the bowl from the woman so that she could drink before handing it back. Someone else had run to the place where clothing was kept and brought back another cloak, draping it around the woman’s shoulders to ensure her warmth.  
After the woman had finished the bowl of stew she looked up at the gathered crowd, smiling gratefully at them.  
“Thank you for this. I swear I could remember the way, but for some reason I got a little confused and ended up a little lost. None of you would happen to know an Áedán Ravensdale, would you? I’ve got a message for him, you see, but it must be delivered in person.”  
Hrondir raised an eyebrow at his brother, the response to which was a quick jab in the ribs.  
“I am Áedán,” the man himself announced, “How may I help you?”  
The woman beamed up at him, and it was only in that moment that the gathered crowd was struck by just how stunning she was. She rose to her feet, the cloaks falling from here shoulders to the ground, and stood before them at her full height. Her skin gave off a warm glow, and Áedán found himself completely drawn to her.  
“I am Gaia, Mother of the Earth,” the woman’s eyes shone, deep green like the leaves one might find in the woods during summer, and her gaze was entirely directed towards Áedán, “and you are going to be my chosen champion.”  
Áedán dropped to his knees, the others following his lead, with his head bowed in submission to the deity.  
“And how may I serve you, your majesty?”  
“You may serve me, Áedán, by agreeing to lead my people. I wish for you to become Emperor of the Fae.”  
Áedán forced himself to not look up in shock as Gaia’s words hit him, and instead he bowed his head a little lower.  
“Surely, your majesty, there are many better choices than me.”  
“Perhaps, but I have chosen you,” Gaia approached, holding out her hand to him, “Come, this conversation requires a more private location.”  
Áedán rose to his feet and too the Earth Mother’s hand, feeling as though his hand was full of warm petals, and allowed her to lead him into the woods. He didn’t look back at any point, but knew the others would be watching in a mixture of awe and concern, particularly his brother. Hrondir may have been younger, but he was protective, and Áedán just hoped he wasn’t too worried about the rather strange situation…

After a short walk Áedán found himself in the middle of a clearing. The full-moon was slowly climbing into position in the sky above them, yet the clearing wasn’t too dark and Áedán was able to make out the face of the goddess stood before him. He went to kneel again, yet Gaia held out a hand to stop him.  
“Now now, formality is for public appearance – here it is only you, Luscinius and I.”  
As she spoke a nightingale fluttered down from the tree tops to perch on her shoulder, tilting his head to the side in curiosity as he surveyed Áedán. He tweeted quietly to Gaia, who smiled and nodded in agreement.  
Áedán remained standing yet kept his head bowed out of respect to goddess, and spoke in a polite and formal tone.  
“I must confess I am confused, your maje-“  
“Please, call me Gaia. To hear my name gives me power.”  
“I’m sorry, Gaia, what I meant to say is that I do not understand what is going on. What is the ‘Empire of the Fae’?”  
Gaia smiled as her hands rose to cradle her stomach in pride.  
“As you can tell I am expecting a child, Áedán, a very special child indeed. My daughter will be a faerie yet she will also be divine; she will become the Goddess of Nationhood, and shall represent faeries as the embodiment of their empire. I have seen this future, Áedán, and I have seen you bring about my daughter’s existence. A month from now you will have secured the alliances necessary to bring together all of the Fae and unite them, allowing my daughter to be born. Then you shall raise her to be one of history’s most important nations.”  
“If I may,” Áedán added as the Earth Mother finished, “you also said she would become a goddess? How does that work?”  
Gaia sighed. “I am afraid it is difficult to explain to a mortal. Effectively she is a nation started by divine intervention and so is divine by nature; I have decided that she will be a goddess, and one day she will rule the gods. I cannot say much else for now, or else I could put the pair of you in grave danger. Just know that the gods of these parts respect me still and will protect you to the best of their abilities, until my child is strong enough to defend herself.”  
Áedán nodded slowly, allowing the words to wash over him. Gaia smiled, her head leaning slightly to one side.  
“Try not to think about it too much, Áedán. For now you need to focus on allying yourself with the other faerie tribes around her. Have that done by the next full-moon and I promise you the chance to be one of the most important people in history. Do you accept?”  
Áedán looked at Gaia for a long moment, before nodding.

Half an hour later Áedán arrived back home to find his brother waiting just outside of their hut, kept warm by the embers of the fire, two cups of cider in either hand.  
“Well, what was that about?” Hrondir rose to greet his brother, pulling him into an embrace.  
They went inside together, Áedán taking one of the cups, and sat and drank as he explained everything. Hrondir nodded along, before smiling.  
“So you’re going to be some big fancy leader, huh? I presume you’ll be wanting a right-hand man, and I believe I know a guy.”  
Áedán chuckled. “Actually, I was thinking of asking Liliana, but you were always first among my back-up choices.”  
“I suppose I can’t hold that against you,” Hrondir grinned, scratching the back of his head, “tell you what, you go west tomorrow to ask Liliana to join us, and I’ll go east to ask Odette…”  
“Careful, brother,” Áedán smiled, “she’ll have you flat on your back in the mud again.”  
“And yet she was still smiling like an angel – you even said she was laughing,” Hrondir beamed, “I’d say I have a chance – and hey, if you finally grow the balls to ask out Liliana we could make it a double wedding.”  
“If you insist brother,” Áedán nodded sleepily, putting down his cup and curling up in his warm pile of blankets, “if you insist.”


	4. Gaia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A child is born, and Gaia's plan for revenge has begun! However, at the moment it is safe to say that revenge isn't the most important thing on the mind of the deity...

Over the next months there were talks, alliances and even a few marriages. Áedán had managed to unite all of the surrounding tribes and was now working on bringing together those further afield. Rumour had spread that he had the backing of the divine and representatives had arrived from all over willing to negotiate their place at the table. On the day of the full-moon, Áedán was sure that he had done enough…

He had.  
Gaia was lying on the ground of the clearing, where she and Áedán had talked only a month before, biting her lip in attempt to contain the pain. She figured by now that she’d be numb to this, but the pain of childbirth still gripped her every time.  
Luscinius waited patiently by her side, trying quietly to distract her.  
“Hush now mother, she’s nearly here,   
Rumour suggests she’ll be a seer!   
Now now mother, don’t you cry,   
Let us hope she isn’t shy!”  
Gaia tried to listen to the little nightingale’s words of comfort, but her mind was field with images of a battlefield. Her prediction had once again come true; the noblest of the Greeks had fallen in battle. It was not an event to celebrate, but at least it would hold the attention of the gods for a while so that she could give birth in peace.  
After what felt like hours of pushing Gaia finally heard the tell-tale cries that told her that her daughter had been born. She wiped the tears from her eyes before reaching down and picking up her baby girl. Around her the trees rustled, the leaves disturbed by a strange sudden gust of wind.  
As Gaia held her daughter in one arm she reached for the water she had gathered earlier, as well as a towel, and gently began to clean the small girl. Once she was done she wrapped her warmly in the blanket she had been preparing for the birth, the one with the little raven embroidered in the corner, before cradling her child close to her chest.  
Luscinius watched all of this, and now began to flutter around happily.  
“Congratulations, mother, your daughter is born,   
Her beauty is rarer than a unicorn!   
Well done, mother, now take your rest,   
And your daughter will do her best!”  
“She is beautiful, isn’t she?” Gaia smiled down at the girl, who had stopped crying and was now looking up at her with her own green eyes, “My beautiful little goddess…”  
The baby giggled, reaching out a hand to gently hold onto her mother’s hair, fingers wrapping around the curls.  
“Careful now sweetie,” Gaia gently chided, “Don’t start pulling now…”  
The baby slowly let go, before wiggling slightly, trying to get comfortable. Eventually her eyes slowly closed and she began to gently snore in her mother’s arms.  
Gaia sighed, before pulling over the other blankets she had brought with her, careful to keep her arm from shaking too badly so that she didn’t disturb her baby too much. Carefully, and with the help of Luscinius, she was able to wrap one of the blankets around her and stack the others in such a way that she could lean against them.  
Once that was done she lay back, once again holding her baby close to her as she got comfortable. She smiled sleepily at Luscinius.  
“I wouldn’t usually ask, but…”  
“I will keep watch over you and your child,   
Just hope for my sake the night isn’t too mild!”  
“Thank you Luscinius. You are my most worthy companion and my dearest friend.”  
The little bird tweeted joyfully in pride, before fluttering up into the treetops for a better view.  
Meanwhile Gaia allowed herself to relax, finally closing her eyes. She felt her child lying on her chest, warm and small and powerful, and allowed the little spark of hope to fill her soul as she gently drifted off to sleep…


	5. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for Gaia to leave her daughter, but Fae will not be on her own for long...

Nations are not like normal people in many ways. They can live for thousands of years, they will watch people rise and fall, and they are witness to the very best of humanity, as well as the very worst. They share in the pain of those who cannot have children; it is a pain they know well. It is even unsure if they are capable of love…  
Perhaps the greatest practical difference is the way in which a nation ages. Adulthood usually strikes at the same time as some great national milestone, but for many that can lead to being stuck as children for almost a thousand years. Some may even enter a teenage stage before reaching adulthood. Some, for reasons outside of their control, never make it out of childhood. That, however, is a story for a much later date…

Fae was a day from a week old when she grew from a baby to a child, and Gaia knew that she would have to leave her. She had stayed whilst her daughter had been too small to take care of herself, but that stage had passed now. For now at least she would have to say goodbye…  
“Mummy, it’s okay,” Fae reached out her tiny hands to wipe the tears from her mother’s face, “I’m strong, I’ll be okay. I promise.”  
“I know, sweetie, I know,” Gaia sniffed, biting her lip to hold back the wave of emotion, “You’ve grown up so fast!”  
“Exactly! In a month’s time I’ll be able to take over the world mummy! You’ll be so proud!”  
“Oh, sweetie, I’m already proud!” Gaia kissed her daughter’s forehead, “I’ll never not be proud of my little goddess!”  
Luscinius began tweeting in the sky above them, causing Gaia to start and look up at the sky.  
“That’s my signal,” she sighed, shaking her head, “although if you’re still a little worried… I mean, I’m sure I can stay another week…”  
“Mummy,” Fae clenched her tiny fists, resting them on her waist. Her lower lip was trembling, “We both know you have to go. Let’s not make it any more difficult than it has to be.”  
Gaia bit her lip, before beaming at her daughter. “Look at you! You’re already twice as strong as I am…”  
“I could never be as strong as you mummy,” Fae admitted, “but with you as my example I know I’ll never be weak.”  
“Alright, alright, I’m going to go now before you make me cry anymore,” Gaia smiled, kissing her daughter again, “I love you sweetie. Never forget that.”  
“I know mummy. I love you too,” Fae beamed as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.  
Gaia took one last look at her daughter, before turning and feeling before she changed her mind and lost the strength to leave…

Alone at last, Fae looked around the woods in confusion, trying to work out what her next move should be. Her mother had told her that the people would discover her soon; she just needed to be patient, to wait for them to turn up.  
Fae shuffled from foot to foot, before sighing and going to sit in the small patch of winter sunlight. She closed her eyes and let the heat wash over her.  
After a long while she felt her stomach rumble, and slowly opened her eyes. Without her even realising the sun had drifted across the sky, and was now slowly sinking below the treeline. Her stomach cried out in pain again, causing her to rise to her feet.  
“Alright, alright, I’ll get you some food,” Fae glowered down at her stomach as she rubbed it in annoyance. “Just give me a minute.”  
She began looking around, turning this way and that, before realising she had no idea where to go to get food. She sighed, falling onto her back to look up at the darkening sky and groan.  
She lay there for a short while before something caught her gaze. She sat up, frowning at one of the branches above, before getting up and waving her arms.  
“Hey! You there, in the trees! I need help! Please!”  
The shape seemed to freeze, before the bird rose from its branch and fluttered down a lower branch, tilting his head to stare at her. Now it was closer Fae could tell that it was a raven.  
“I don’t mean to sound rude,” Fe began, realising the ship may have already sailed on that point, “but I’m terribly hungry. Would you happen to know of any food nearby that I could forage?”  
The bird looked down at her, turning his head to the other side as he studied her in curiosity.  
Fae sighed, slumping back to the ground. Perhaps the raven didn’t understand her. That’s why she jumped a few seconds later when he began to speak.  
“If you ask for it, you need to make sure it is then given to you as an offering,” the raven’s voice was deep and heavily accented, “if you don’t, eating it will make you very sick.”  
“Huh?” Fae blinked in confusion, not having any idea what the raven was on about.  
Up on his branch the bird sighed, before flapping down to the ground beside her. He hopped around her, looking her up and down, before stopping right in front of her.  
“Did your mother not tell you what you were?” His head was once again tilted to the side as he regarded her with his glittering black eyes.  
“My mother? She said that people would find me soon, but… No, she didn’t really say what I was, only that I was special.”  
The raven chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”  
There was silence between them once more as Fae regarded the bird and the bird regarded Fae. She tried to think of something, anything, that she could say to break the silence, but nothing would come to her. The raven was making her too nervous.  
Eventually her stomach rumbled again and he sighed, before turning and flapping off into the night. Fae watched him go, feeling slightly relieved the minute he was out of sight. She lay back down, closing her eyes and planning to sleep off her hunger, when something heavy landed on her stomach.  
Fae sat bolt upright, causing the raven to flap back in shock, and branch covered in berries dangling from his mouth. He mumbled something at her through his clenched beak, making her raise a confused eyebrow.  
The raven dropped the berries into her lap. “I said,” he began with a now empty beak, “take these berries as an offering, and a sign of my servitude.”  
“Servitude?” Fae asked in confusion, as the bird landed and began preening his feathers. “What do you mean by that?”  
The raven sighed. “My name is Edgar, and I was chosen to serve and look after the youngest daughter of the Earth Mother, the goddess Fae.”  
“Goddess?” Fae raised an eyebrow, now completely baffled by the large raven. “I’m a goddess? I thought I was meant to be a country…”  
“You’re both, it’s confusing, I’ll explain later,” Fae could have sworn the bird rolled his eyes as he spoke, “For now you need to eat.”  
Fae nodded, before picking up the berries and beginning the pick and eat them. They were a little tart, but tasty enough, and by the time she was finished she knew her stomach would be quiet for a while.  
Edgar surveyed her as she ate, having finished cleaning his feathers, before nodding when he saw that she was done.  
“Right, now you need to sleep. I’ll keep an eye out for you to make sure you’re safe.”  
“Before I do,” Fae spoke quickly, making the bird sigh, “can you tell me who commanded you to serve me?”  
“The Allfather believed that I would make a good servant after I made one too many jokes about his missing eye,” Edgar shook his head, “That’s what you get for not being one of the favourites, I suppose.”  
He surveyed Fae’s face through the dim moonlight, before sighing again.  
“I will add that to the list of things to explain to you once you have rested. For now, please sleep. I may be a servant but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate some cranky child that hasn’t had enough sleep.”  
Fae nodded, before curling up into a ball. She felt the breeze from Edgar’s wings as he flew back up into the branches, before daring to look up at him.  
“Go to sleep,” were the words he threw back down at her.  
Fae sighed, closed her eyes, and hoped that the person who was meant to discover her would do so soon.


	6. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Fae sleeps she begins to dream of a war in a far away land, of an army camped on a beach outside a city surrounded by high walls, of a man destroyed by grief and rage, of a spear flying through the air, and of the ghost of a man who watches in misery...

The first thing that caught Fae’s attention was the smell. The rusty metallic smell filled her nostrils and made her head spin, causing her to gag. She looked at the ground, and saw that the sand around her was soaking up an ocean of blood.  
She looked back up, and realised she was stood in the middle of a battlefield. She turned, trying to make out shapes in the distance to give her some sense of her location. Behind her was the ocean, on top of which sat a multitude of ships and in front of those, on the beach, a city of tents. Another type of city stood in front of her, with walls reaching up to grasp at the sky and a river guarding it from the bloodshed.  
Fae realised that she both did and did not recognise this location, so she tried to look for familiar faces. She felt like she spotted many, but she simply couldn’t associate them with names. She moved through the crowd, trying to find someone to at least call out to…  
It was then that she spotted the man who was tearing the battlefield apart. He fought like he was dancing, like war was nothing more than an art form to him. Fae could feel the rage radiating off of him, but also sensed something more, something she could only describe as a deep sense of grief. Whoever this man was, Fae felt as sorry for him as she was scared of him.  
Eventually she realised that the man was trying to reach another warrior. Fae watched the other man and saw that he was good, but not as good; in a straight fight he would be defeated.  
For that reason she was not surprised when he ran, only mildly offended. To turn and run from your fate, no matter negative your destiny may be, is a cowardly move and one that disgusts her.  
The hero saw this and ran straight after him, cutting down any man that dared to stand in the way. Fae looked around her, before shrugging and following him.  
The coward managed to cross the river, but the hero was stopped before he could follow as a being rose from the waters. Fae froze in her tracks, staring at the river man, and realised she was looking upon a deity. Well, the hero had no chance now-  
He attacked the river god without a second thought, causing Fae’s jaw to drop. Did he not realised how outmatched he was? Still, Fae was impressed by how well the man was able to hold his ground; he was giving it his all, but it would never be enough. Even as she watched she could see the man slowing down, with more and more of his attacks not landing…  
Fae turned, not wanting to witness the end, and saw another figure stood beside her. It was another man, but he was clearly no longer a part of the land of the living. Still he stood and watched the fight with tears rolling down his face, and as Fae looked between the two men she knew that it was the loss of the ghost beside her that had caused the hero’s rage.  
Wiping her own tears from her face, she turned back to the hero and the river god; if he was to die, she would ensure that his final act had a living witness. The hero was still, and Fae was sure the final blow was to come. She bit her lip, and-  
\- like a blur the hunter moved, and gold sprayed from the body of the river god. He staggered backwards, looking down in surprise, before turning in retreat as his waters turned golden around him. The hero moved forwards a hunter chasing his prey, whilst Fae and the ghost followed.  
Fae stopped at the outskirts of the small grove but the ghost moved closer, almost as though he was under a spell. She couldn’t hear the words of the hero and the coward, the hunter and the hunted, but she saw the spear fly from the hero’s hands and land in the small gap in the neck of the man’s poor fitting armour. She watched the blood spurt though the air as the defeated man fell to his knees, falling forward so that his body was propped up by the spear.  
Fae slowly crept forwards, and saw that the hero’s face was void of emotion; for a few seconds he was completely numb. He fell to his knees and the ghost ran to him, desperately trying to comfort him as his face crumpled in pain and he let out the howl of a wounded animal.  
The ghost was shaking, and Fae realised that he too was sobbing as his attempts to alleviate his lover’s pain failed. He looked up, and saw Fae stood before him. Their eyes met and his mouth dropped open, yet his words were lost to the darkness that was slowly engulfing Fae’s vision until she could neither see nor hear a thing…


	7. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between Fae and Edgar takes some strange and unusual twists...

Fae woke that morning to find that her cheeks were wet with tears. She knew it was because of the dream she had had that night, but she couldn’t for the lie of her remember the details of what had happened. Either way she wiped her face as she sat up, and looked up at the sky to see if she could spot Edgar.  
She couldn’t; he was gone.  
Fae sighed, not knowing if she should be annoyed or relieved. She settled on the latter and rose to her feet, figuring it would be a good idea to find some place where she could wash. She knew her mother had mentioned that staying in the clearing was probably for the best, yet she could hardly greet her new boss in the state she was in.  
She bit her lip, trying to work out which direction would be best to head in, before sighing and just walking forwards, hoping that The Fates would be on her side. It was a cool morning, yet she could tell spring would soon be on the way. She even spotted a few flowers beginning to stand up and fight against the cold, their petals delicate and bright against the otherwise dark, wintery woods.  
Eventually Fae thought that she could hear the sound of running water, and made her way in that direction. Thanking The Fates she came across a small river, barely more than a stream, and quickly grazed her fingers across the surface of the water to assess the temperature. As she expected, it was freezing.  
She sighed, before quickly pulling off her dress and hanging it from the branch of a nearby tree. She bit her lip and walked into the water, trying to ignore the pain the cold caused her, and started washing herself. After a while she barely even noticed how much it was hurting.  
Indeed, once she’d started singing to herself she was rather lost to the world around her. She rocked from side to side in the water, her voice slowly rising, until a voice interrupted her.  
“Really? I leave for ten minutes to get breakfast and come back to find you prancing around naked in the freezing cold? Your boss won’t be able to discover you if you’ve died of hypothermia.”  
Fae shrieked, and wrapped her arms tightly around her body in defensive shock. She span rapidly, before spotting Edgar sat on the same branch that carried her dress.  
“Pervert,” she growled angrily, “turn around so that I can get out and get dressed you freak.”  
“Charming,” Edgar responded as he rose from his branch to fly away out of sight, “and believe me, it’s not a sight I’d want to see. I’ll wait until you’re older, thanks.”  
At this point Fae was surprised at her own levels of self-control, for the simple fact that she didn’t pick up the nearest stone to hurl it at the little shit. Instead she made her way over the tree and hurriedly slipped her dress on. Then she turned, glaring back up at Edgar.  
“It’s okay. I’m dressed now.”  
Edgar turned his head, before fluttering back down to the branch in front of her. After he had landed he gestured to a nearby rock with his wing.  
“I found some more berries to offer to you now. Eat up.”  
Fae made her way over to the rock, perching on it and enjoying her breakfast. While she ate Edgar was silent, and the few glances Fae shot his way suggested he was sulking. Eventually, after she had finished eating, she realised she couldn’t stand the silence any longer.  
“Okay, I’m sorry,” she sighed, turning to face the raven, “I’ve been utterly horrid to you when all you’ve been trying to do is help me. I really do appreciate all your efforts, and would like the chance to start again if that would be alright with you?”  
Edgar surveyed her for a few long seconds, before nodding his head once.  
“Agreed, although I owe you an apology too.”  
The bird turned his back on her, gazing off into the distance, whilst Fae just stared up at him. After a few moments she could stand it no longer.  
“Is that… it?”  
“What? You want me to add more? Isn’t it bad enough that I’ve been reduced to babysitting, I now have to grovel for forgiveness from the baby as well?”  
Fae felt her entire body droop over in misery, and stared at the ground in front of her. She blinked a few times, trying to stop the tears from arriving. She wouldn’t grant him the satisfaction of knowing how weak she was; instead, she would prove her strength.  
“Fine, talk me down if that makes you feel better, I no longer care. You resent me so much? Fine, you are free. Return to the Allfather and tell him that you failed in a task even you believe to be necessary. Not only will you not find the redemption you crave, I doubt you’ll fly away with your life. Alternatively you can stay here, shut your beak and make the best of a bad situation, and I promise that for all the help you give me I will try and help you to regain the respect that you say you have lost. Is that a deal?”  
Edgar stared at her for a few minutes, before giving another quick nod.  
“Yes, we have a deal. I suppose I have been viewing this more as my own punishment rather than a chance to redeem myself by helping someone who’s young and clearly rather lost in the world. In future I’ll try and be a little more supportive of you.”  
Fae smiled. “And in return I will do my best to help you reclaim your honour.”  
Edgar surveyed her, before appearing to smile. “Thank you. I suppose I can certainly think of worse fates than being your servant…”  
Fae smiled, before holding out her arm which, after a few hesitant moments, Edgar flew down to perch upon. Fae beamed, before gently stroking the feathers on top of the raven’s head. He shuddered and she froze, making him look up at her sadly.  
“Why did you stop? I’m very stressed-out, a nice relaxing massage is just what I need…”  
Fae rolled her eyes, wondering who the real servant in this relationship would end up being, before continuing to gently scratch Edgar’s back. He may be a needy little bitch, she thought to herself, but as long as he was her needy little bitch she felt an awful lot more confident in the future…


	8. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fae uses her connection to nature to make some new friends, and finally meets the man she has been waiting for...

After a short rest by the stream, Fae decided to make her way back to the clearing so that her new boss would find it easier to discover her. As she walked she tried her hardest to remain very still, because Edgar was perched on top of her head and she didn’t want to disturb him, but she did regret not being able to look around and enjoy the sights a bit more.  
Perhaps it was because her gaze remained mostly focused on the ground that she was able to spot the tell-tale sign of tracks on the ground. She froze, waking Edgar from his nap.  
“Keep walking, we haven’t arrived yet…”   
Edgar sounded like he was drifting back off, making Fae clear her throat and point to the tracks in front of her. She felt the raven stir for a few seconds, before taking off from her head to shoot up into the trees, desperately looking for a trace of the pack.  
It was too late.  
Fae’s entire body froze in fright as the wolves began emerging from the dense woods, surrounding her in a few seconds. A large male stood in front of her, and Fae knew that he could be no other than the alpha.  
Fae swallowed as Edgar flew up from her head, squawking at the top of his lungs.  
“Go away! Get out of here! What, you’re going to attack some unarmed little girl and her bird? What kind of monsters would do such a thing?! Go on, shoo! Away with you!”  
A few of the wolves regarded him with little interest, but the alpha kept his gaze on Fae. After a few seconds and a lot of lip biting, she decided to return it. They stared each other down for a few moments, before eventually the alpha bowed his head, the other wolves collapsing to their bellies around them.  
“Your highness,” the alpha spoke in a low growl, yet he seemed harmless enough, “I have come to you as I seek the help of the daughter of Gaia. My youngest pup is sick, and we are not sure what is wrong with her. We would kindly ask for your help.”  
Fae nodded. “Of course, lead the way.”  
“’Of course’?!” Edgar squawked in outrage above, “‘lead the way’?! Child you are going to get us both murdered!”  
Fae ignored the raven though, and instead followed the wolves deeper into the woods. Edgar sighed, and began flapping through the woods after them.

After a short while the group arrived at yet another clearing, where a female wolf was lying in the shade of a tree. By her side two cubs were jumping around and playing around with each other, whilst there sister lay be her mother’s side fast asleep.  
The mother looked up as Fae arrived, her eyes widening slightly, before she muttered something to her cubs. They stopped moving and dropped to their bellies as their mother dropped her head in respect.  
The little cub curled up next to her mother looked up slowly, before carefully letting her head fall back to the earth.  
Fae looked between the two wolf parents, not wanting to risk angering the pair by touching their child without permission.   
“May I?” She asked, nodding her head towards the cub.  
The parents exchanged a look, before they both nodded at Fae. She approached the cub slowly, hands held up to show she wasn’t a threat, and knelt on the ground beside it.  
“Hey there little one,” as she spoke she gently stroked the wolf cub’s fur, feeling the small body shaking underneath her fingertips, “What’s your name?”  
The small cub raised her head to look at her. “Ylva,” she mumbled, her voice weak.  
“Ylva? That’s a lovely name!” Fae began to check the cub over, being sure to remain as gentle as she possibly could, “Tell me Ylva, are you in pain?”  
Ylva whimpered, before nodding her head.  
“Where does it hurt?”  
“My tummy.”  
Fae began to gently feel Ylva’s stomach, checking to see if she could feel anything wrong.  
“Tell me Ylva, have you eaten anything strange recently? Anything you shouldn’t have eaten? It’s okay, your parents won’t be mad at you so long as you let me know.”  
Ylva looked between her parents, seeing them both nod, before looking back up at Fae.  
“I ate some of the bad berries,” she admitted sadly, “I thought they were the good ones but they weren’t and I only realised after I’d eaten them…”  
Fae nodded. “Okay then, we need to get you to throw up. How long ago was this? And how may did you eat?”  
“It was this morning, and not many.”  
“Then you should be fine if we can purge your system,” Fae turned to the parents, “I’m going to pick her up now, as it’ll be easier somewhere she can have water when she’s done.”  
The mother nodded, and the father spoke.  
“Do what you need her. We’ll lead you to the closest water supply.”  
Fae gently scooped the young cub into her arms, before following the father. It was only a short walk to the little pond, and once they arrived Fae gently placed that little wolf on the ground.  
“Right, I’m going to use some magic now to help you be sick. I warn you that it will hurt, but once I’m done you should be a lot better.”  
Fae began to sing under her breath, using the words to an old song her mother had taught her. After a few moments the little wolf in front of her began to wretch, before she started vomiting her little socks off. It was a horrific sight but Fae kept singing, knowing that the little thing needed to purge it’s stomach or else.  
After a while Ylva’s stomach was clearly empty, and the cub looked like she was about to collapse in exhaustion. Fae helped her over to the river, letting her have a few sips of water to clean out her mouth, before picking her back up and walking over to her father.  
“She’ll need to rest now, and she needs to drink small amounts regularly. She should probably avoid eating until tomorrow, and when she is feeling hungry again only let her have a couple of mouthfuls at a time until her stomach is back to being stable. If she has any more problems please come and find me again.”  
The alpha nodded, before leading Fae back to the others as the girl cradled Ylva in her arms.

After settling the wolf cub back with her mother and bidding her farewells to the pack Fae made her way back to her own clearing as Edgar soared ahead of her. She knew he was a little annoyed at her but she didn’t care; she’d done something that mattered today.  
Eventually they reached the clearing and Fae walked straight to the centre. She looked up, and saw Edgar perched on a branch high up off the ground.  
She was about to call out to him, when she heard something rustle in the distance. Instantly she moved into a defensive stance, looking around her quickly to try and assess the threat.  
From high in the trees above her she heard Edgar sigh.  
“Quit looking like some wild beast and start looking sweet and friendly. You need to make a good first impression.”  
Fae did as she was told, relaxing her expression and her body, and was about to ask Edgar what he meant when a figure emerged from the trees to her left.  
She span round, looking up at the tall man, before putting on her most adorable smile and dropping into a deep curtsey.  
“Greetings, I am the Fae Empire,” she kept her voice soft and sweet, trying to make a good first impression as Edgar had instructed, “I believe you are my new boss?”  
The man looked at her for a few moments, eyebrow raised in a mixture of curiosity and shock, before he smiled.  
“Pleased to meet you Fae. I am Áedán, and I am indeed your new boss. Come, I believe we have much to discuss…”  
He held out a hand, which Fae took, before leading her through the woods towards the village that was slowly becoming a town, as Edgar soared behind them in the sky above.


	9. Gaia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a break from our regular programming we follow Gaia as she makes a long-overdue visit to Olympus...

Olympus was as imposing as ever as Gaia slowly made her way up the side of the mountain. The sun was already high in the sky and one or two times she felt the need to stop and catch her breath, which may have been the excuse she gave so she could both enjoy the view and delay her arrival at the top.  
Still, The Fates could not be avoided forever, and Gaia soon found herself entering the home of the gods. Well, some specific gods, with large enough egos that they were happy enough claiming to be the only ones, but Gaia had realised a long time ago that that was none of her business.  
She walked through the large marble palace, reaching the throne room in what felt like record time. The main gods were all gathered there, with her grandson sat on his throne at the back, his famous lightning bolt by his side as always. Gaia shuddered when she saw it, remembering all the pain it had caused her.  
She gulped, before walking past the gathered gods into the centre of the room, stopping before the throne.  
“My liege,” she bowed her head politely, but also to avoid looking into the face she had come to hate, “you summoned me?”  
“Ah, grandmother,” Zeus’ voice boomed out like thunder, “how have you been?”  
“Perfectly well, my liege,” Gaia kept her head bowed, “I have been visiting the lands north of here, trying to stay away from the war.”  
Zeus snorted. “Because you’ve never been a fan of bloodshed.”  
There was complete silence for a few moments as Gaia bit her lip, not wanting to cause an argument that would only end in pain for herself.  
After a little while Zeus cleared his throat.  
“Anyway, I’m afraid to say that I have received some disturbing reports. Apollo, if you wouldn’t mind telling Gaia what it is you believe you saw.”  
The young man with the golden hair stepped forwards, bowing his head towards the throne.  
“Outside the walls of Troy I spotted a girl watching the fighting. I had no idea who or what she was, but I could tell she was somehow like us. It was strange, like seeing a failed attempt at creating a goddess.”  
“Interesting,” Zeus nodded, stroking his beard, “now tell me grandmother, would you happen to know anything about that?”  
Gaia slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, it doesn’t sound familiar to me in the slightest.”  
“No? Are you sure? How strange,” Zeus nodded to himself, before smiling, “Perhaps she has something to do with the other, lesser gods. Tell me son, how did she look? Was she pretty?”  
Apollo hesitated for a moment. “She was too young for me to tell.”  
“But there was potential?”  
“Perhaps, it was difficult to tell across the battlefield. In all honesty she just looked young.”  
“Ah,” Zeus nodded, “well, perhaps when we eventually track her down, she’ll be old enough for me to make a proper judgement…”  
Gaia remained perfectly still, not daring to show an ounce of emotion, despite the fact that her blood had turned to ice in her veins and her heart was racing like a cheetah. She felt like she was about to collapse but she knew she couldn’t, she knew she couldn’t show that she’d reacted to the threat. It was the only way to keep her daughter safe…  
Suddenly the doors banged open behind Gaia, causing everyone to jump. Gaia was about to spin around to see what was going on before Hera stormed past her, stopping in front of her with her hands on her hips.  
“Well?” she demanded in a clear, strong voice, “Care to explain why I wasn’t invited to this meeting, or where my throne has gone?”  
Zeus shrank back ever so slightly, and for once he was the one to look intimidated.  
“Well, um, darling, you see the thing is…” He trailed off, looking around the room for support that never came.  
Hera sighed, before snapping her fingers. The throne materialised out of nowhere alongside that of her husband’s and she moved forwards to sit down, her peacock following close behind and sitting in his basket by her feet.  
She surveyed the room, before her eyes landed on Gaia and she let out a wide smile.  
“Grandmother! What a wonderful surprise! Have you been offered refreshments?”  
“Hera dearest she’s here to be-“  
“Hush now, my dearest husband, I will not allow us to develop a reputation for being ungracious hosts,” Hera turned back to Gaia after her scolding, the smile returning, “But really, it’s been too long. You simply must come visit us more often.”  
“Well I am afraid to say that I cannot stay much longer today, as I have matters to attend to elsewhere,” Gaia replied politely, seeing her opportunity, “I will be sure to return soon though, so that we can have a proper talk.”  
“I look forward to it,” Hera nodded, rising to her feet, “we can arrange it as I walk you out.”  
She approached Gaia, taking her by the arm and leading her out of the front room. They were silent as they walked, until they reached the edge of the palace, where Hera stopped Gaia in her tracks, pulling her round so they were face to face.  
“Is the child okay?” Hera’s tone was hushed and hurried.  
“Excuse me?” Gaia began quickly, “I know nothing about…”  
Gaia trailed off as she looked into Hera’s eyes and realised that she knew, and that there would be no point in lying to her. Instead she sighed.  
“She’s fine,” Gaia nodded, “May I ask how you knew?”  
Hera smiled. “It’s my job to know these things. Don’t worry, I won’t let anybody else find out, especially not him.” Hera rolled her eyes, before shaking her head.  
Gaia just gave her granddaughter her warmest smile, fighting the urge to pull her in for a hug.  
“Thank you.”  
“No problem,” Hera smiled before nodding, “anyway, I won’t keep you any longer.”  
Gaia nodded, before turning and beginning to make her way down the mountain. She only looked back once, and saw that Hera had disappeared back inside the palace.

About half-way down Gaia began to hear a familiar song, and found Luscinius waiting for her on a rock. She sat down next to him and stared off into the distance, admiring the view.  
“So now you have the support of the Queen,   
Have you considered what that will mean?”  
“It means she wants something,” Gaia sighed, shaking her head, “and she has the perfect leverage over me.”  
“Not you, not you, she wants nothing from you,   
It is your daughter she wishes to woo!   
The girl holds power beyond comprehension,   
By removing the head she will ease the tension!”  
“‘Removing the head’?” Gaia’s eyes widened in realisation as the vision came to her, “Oh my… Come, we should go. Now I have seen this I’d feel safer in hiding.”  
Luscinius nodded, before following his friend on her trek back down the mountain.


	10. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fae meets (and is swiftly kidnapped by) a new friend...

A century or so is apparently all it takes for a small string of villages to develop into something one might consider a country. Fae remained a child, but her knowledge had grown far beyond her years and now she could complete many of the tasks she was given with ease.  
However, her task on this particular cold, sunny morning was a rather simple one. With the grass still wet from the night before beneath her feet and the red cloak that had been a present from Edgar around her shoulders, Fae had only one mission in mind – to find the perfect flowers to be turned into crowns for her boss and his wife on the Naming Day of their child, their firstborn son.  
The birth of her heir was a monumental occasion for Fae, and she’d been busy for the six days following the birth of the child to prepare for the next day. Heck, the entire country had been busy – the main celebrations would obviously take place in the capital, but it doesn’t mean the other towns weren’t celebrating the birth. Everyone was excitedly awaiting the name of their future ruler.  
As Fae walked through the clearing, wondering what name would be chosen, she heard a cawing and felt something heavy landing on her head.  
“I’m not sure flower girl is an important enough role for a goddess,” Edgar said through a yawn, beginning to peck at his feathers in an attempt to fluff them up a little, “It almost feels like they’re trying to get you out of the way.”  
“Please, everyone knows that the flower crowns worn at important events set the mood of the event. I’m incredibly lucky to be chosen to be in charge of the most important ones.”  
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Edgar yawned as he settled down and went to sleep.  
Fae sighed. She was pretty sure a lazier bird didn’t exist, and if it did she certainly had no intention of meeting it.  
She continued on her quest, stopping every now and again to pick bluebells, purple orchids and dog violets, wanting to create a calming yet regal appearance with these particular flower crowns, to show the peace that had surrounded the royal couple since they had finally been blessed with a child. She also picked some yellow archangels, as they were associated with wisdom and would add a touch of vibrancy to the otherwise cool palette.  
After a couple of hours Fae was sure she’d have more than enough flowers and began to make her way back. It was then that she looked around, and realised that she didn’t exactly recognise the patch of woods she was stood in.  
She blinked for a few moments, before opening her mouth to tell Edgar to wake up and work out where they were, when a noise stopped her.  
She froze as Edgar bolted awake, and they both bean looking around, trying to work out where the noise had come from. It was only when Edgar squawked and Fae felt something poke her in the back that she realised it had come from behind her.  
Slowly she turned around, and found herself with a spear stuck in her face. She blinked for a moment, before looking past the spear to try and work out the identity of her attacker.  
She was surprised at what she found; a girl, about the same age as her, with a flaming mess of red hair and her entire face painted blue. She was glaring at Fae, but as her eyes met Fae’s the expression softened. The girl knew, just as Fae knew, that whoever the girl opposite her was they were alike – they were both nations.  
Slowly the girl lowered her spear, her eyes remaining fixed on Fae’s face. There was silence between them for a long while, before Edgar could take no more.  
“Who are you?” He cried out, taking off into the air to fly around in distress, “What do you want? Oh gods, someone help us! There’s a mad woman!”  
“Edgar, shut up before I start plucking feathers!” Fae growled, causing the raven to land on a nearby tree branch to sulk. Fae turned back to the girl. “Really though, may I ask your name?”  
The girl looked at Fae, before looking at Edgar, then turning back at Fae.  
“Albion,” she pointed at herself, before pointing at Fae, “You?”  
“Fae,” the girl smiled, holding out her hand, “pleased to meet you.”  
Albion looked between Fae, her hand, and then back again, making Fae slowly lower her hand. The redhead then looked back up at Edgar, before her gaze once more returned to the faerie.  
“How do you know my language?” Albion asked, confusion contorting her face, “Do you also understand the bird’s squawking?”  
Fae blinked, only now realising that the tongue she had just communicated in was not her own. She opened her mouth, shut it, and looked up to Edgar to see if he had any idea.  
“Nations will always be able to communicate with each other,” he grumbled, “and you, as Goddess of Nationhood, are able to speak the language of any and all nations. It is also not that difficult for you to pick up other languages, due to a combination of both factors. Oh, and humans can’t talk to animals.”  
Fae nodded, before turning back to Albion.  
“I can communicate with you because we’re both… different. I’m sure you’ve noticed?”  
Albion nodded slowly. “My boss says I am a gift. Whilst I am strong my people are strong, but should I become weak… They were confused at first though, when I wouldn’t grow up or die. They’re used to it now, but only because they believe I come from the gods.”  
Fae nodded sadly. “I suppose it’s not the easiest thing to comprehend. Oh, and I can speak to animals, but that’s just a trait of my people…”  
“Your people?” Albion asked, eyebrows raised.  
Fae bit her lip, before allowing the gossamer wings to free themselves from her back, sprinkling glitter on the ground as they fluttered in the breeze.  
Albion’s jaw dropped, and she reached out a hand to touch them, making Fae quickly hide them again.  
“I don’t mean to be rude, but touching my wings would put me in serious pain. For regular faeries it causes death!”  
Albion blinked for a few moments, before nodding to herself and taking Fae’s hand.  
“You are clearly also of the gods. Come, you must meet my boss.”  
“But I need to get back to my boss…” Fae protested weakly, before turning to look at Edgar, who nodded and flew off to let the others know that she would be delayed.  
Fae herself sighed, and allowed Albion to drag her off towards her own home. 'Oh well', Fae thought to herself as she stumbled after the girl with the wild red hair, 'at least she’s letting me keep my flowers with me. I suppose that’s something… I just hope they won’t be too mad at the delay, and that the delay doesn’t take too long…'


	11. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now back at Albion's village, Fae must try to impress her new friend's people...

After a short and yet surprisingly painful walk, Fae found herself arriving at a large settlement filled with small wooden huts. There were people moving around, people that clearly weren’t faeries – what was the word Edgar had used? Humans?  
Fae found herself looking around in wonder as she was dragged towards the hut in the centre of the village. She noticed that the people were staring back but didn’t mind, it was understandable.  
Albion suddenly stopped, causing Fae to walk into her where she hadn’t been paying attention. She jumped back as Albion let go of her hand, turning to face her.  
“Wait here. I need to go and get my boss. He’s going to be so excited!”  
Albion sped off, leaving Fae to do as she was told as a small crowd gathered around her. She gulped, looking down to avoid eye contact, and instead began planning how she would turn the flowers in her basket into crowns.  
She was interrupted by the sound of Albion’s voice, loud and fast and excited, and looked up to see the girl leading two adults out of the hut.  
“I mean she has wings boss she must be somehow related to the gods! It’s like in the old stories you used to tell me, she’s one of the magic people who helps us!”  
Albion stopped in front of Fae, and hold out her arms to present her.  
“This is my friend, Fae. Isn’t she cool? Fae, do the wing thing!”  
Fae sighed, shaking her head, before once more allowing her wings to break free from the skin on her back. The crowd gasped at their glowing appearance, marvelling at their swirling shape, before groaning as Fae made them vanish again.  
“See?” Albion was practically bouncing with excitement, “I told you she was magic! She’s so cool! Can we be friends with her people? Please?”  
The two people exchanged a look, before looking back at Albion and nodding.  
“If her boss allows it, we see no problem with it,” the man nodded, stepping forward and bowing his head at Fae, “It is a pleasure to meet you, young Fae. I am Caratacos, and this is my wife Rigantona. Tell me, where are your people situated?”  
“I’m not quite sure, I’m afraid to say,” Fae replied, bowing politely as she responded, “I am afraid that Albion stumbled across me whilst I was very lost. Hopefully my raven will return soon to tell me which way to head in.”  
“Your… raven?” Caratacos stared at her in confusion.  
“I told you boss, she can speak to animals! She’s so cool…”  
Caratacos blinked, before nodding in acceptance as Rigantona shot Fae a bemused smile.  
“Come, sit and talk with us whilst you wait,” she spoke as she stepped forwards, “I’m sure our people would love to hear tales of your life.”  
“Well, there’s not much to tell I’m afraid, but I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions,” Fae was still bowing politely, “if you won’t mind me working as I talk, of course.”  
“Of course,” Rigantona beamed, “come, join as at the fire and tell us all about yourself…”


	12. Fae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edgar to the rescue! But what will Fae's boss think of her discovery?

It was a couple of hours before Edgar returned, with a group of Fae guards following behind him. Fae was surprised to see Áedán among their ranks, and began worrying that she’d be in trouble for disappearing on such an important occasion.  
The humans she had been talking to rose in concern as her people approached, but she just got to her feet and ran to greet her approaching boss, before turning to the others.  
“Please don’t be alarmed! This is my boss, Áedán Ravensdale, and some of our guards. They won’t hurt you.”  
She turned back to smile at her boss, relaxing as she saw the bemused expression on his face.  
“I’ve made some new friends, your majesty! We should invite them to the ceremony tomorrow as a symbol of our alliance!”  
“Alliance? I believe I decide who we are allied with, little Fae,” Áedán chucked, “but, if you think this friendship will be beneficial, I will certainly use this opportunity to look into it.”  
“Thank you, your majesty,” Fae bowed politely, “come, I’ll introduce you to everyone!”

A couple of hours and a lot of translation later, and Fae was pretty sure that she and Albion were going to be very good friends. Their bosses seemed to get along, and they had managed to come to a number of trade agreements.  
“Now,” Caratacos said, beaming, as Albion translated, “we must have a drink to celebrate our agreement to work together!”  
“Agreed,” Áedán replied as Fae translated, “although I’m afraid we cannot stay long – tomorrow is an important day.”  
“Ah, the girl mentioned,” Caratacos nodded at Fae, “we wish you and your family the best.”  
“Perhaps you and your people would like to join us – it would give you a chance to meet my people, and hopefully confirm our alliance.”  
“That sounds like a great idea, and we are more than happy to accept your invitation,” Rigantona answered, nodding as her husband turned to face her.  
“Wonderful,” Áedán bowed his head politely, “the festivities will begin at midday, so we will send some envoys to come and guide you a little while after dawn. Then, if you wish to stay with us overnight, you may.”  
“That sounds like a wonderful plan, thank you,” Rigantona nodded, before rising to her feet, “we will be delighted to see you tomorrow.”  
Caratacos and Áedán also rose to their feet to say their farewells, as Albion pulled Fae into a tight hug.  
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” she announced, before pulling away with a wide grin on her face, “I’m sure we’ll bring some alcohol with us to make sure everyone has a good time.”  
“That would be greatly appreciated,” Fae nodded, picking up her basket filled with the freshly-made flower crowns, “I look forward to it.”  
“As do I,” Albion called out as Fae turned to follow her boss back home, “it’ll be amazing!”

Fae walked side-by-side with her boss, basket gently swinging on her arm, as they made their way back home. A few times Edgar tried to land in the basket but Fae swatted him away, worried that he’d crush the flowers. He was now sulking on top of her head.  
After a long while in total silence, Fae finally mustered up the question that had been irritating her since leaving the village.  
“Are you… okay with this, sire?” She blinked up at her boss, “I mean… I know I should have gotten your permission before saying anything, but I didn’t have time and I figured you’d want me to be friendly…”  
“Of course I’m okay with it,” Áedán smiled down at Fae with tired-looking eyes, “You showed excellent initiative. I couldn’t be more proud.”  
“But the timing-“  
“Was rather excellent, really,” Áedán admitted, “I mean, I know everybody is rather exhausted from all the planning, myself included, but at least we are currently set up to host guests. Plus, everybody is in a good mood right now which should create a wonderful environment for forming an alliance.”  
“So we are going to be friends, boss?” Fae asked excitedly.  
“I very much hope so,” Áedán nodded, before chuckling as the girl skipped in excitement, nearly causing Edgar to fall.  
“Hey, watch it!” Edgar grumbled, settling back down on the middle of Fae’s head, “Some of us have had a very long day…”  
Fae ignored the miserable raven through, and enjoyed the rest of the walk back to her village with her boss.

**Author's Note:**

> I understand that this work will not be for everyone, as it is more of a spin-off story to combine two world that don't necessarily fit together very well at times, meaning there may be certain things that do not quite fit the canon or actual historic record. I have tried my hardest to ensure that this will not be a massive problem, but if you will have any problems with this, I would urge you not to read anymore. If you do not mind, or could offer me advise for how to improve, then please enjoy and note that any and all feedback would be wonderful. Remember folks - stay constructive, not cruel.


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